Go Back
Print Pin

Ube Macapuno Cake

The recipe was adapted from Heart of Mary, Pinay in Texas Cooking Corner & Sally's Baking Addiction.
Course Dessert
Cuisine Filipino
Keyword bundt cakes, Filipino, frosting, macapuno, purple yam, recipe, Red Ribbon, Swiss meringue buttercream, Ube
Prep Time 2 hours
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings 12 slices

Ingredients

For the Ube Chiffon Cake:

  • 2 ¼ cups cake flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 ½ cups white sugar, divided
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 7 large eggs, separated
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 2/3 cup whole milk
  • 1 cup grated ube, fresh or frozen and thawed
  • 1 tablespoon ube extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

For the Swiss Meringue Buttercream:

  • 6 large egg whites
  • 2 cups white sugar
  • 1 ½ cups unsalted butter, softened but still cool and cut into tablespoon-sized pieces
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 12 oz. jar of macapuno (preserved sweet coconut strings)

Instructions

For the Ube Chiffon Cake:

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two 9" round, 1½" high pans and one 4"x8" loaf pan with parchment paper. Do not grease the pans.
  • In a large bowl, sift cake flour, baking powder, ¾ cup of sugar and salt and mix until well combined.
  • In a separate bowl, combine egg yolks, oil, milk, ube extract and ube. Add wet mixture to flour mixture. Whisk together until just combined. Set aside.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip egg whites until frothy with the whisk attachment. Gradually add in 3/4 cup of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar. On medium-high speed, whip until the meringue mixture forms stiff peaks.
  • Gradually and gently fold meringue into flour mixture until very well combined. Divide batter equally into prepared pans.
  • Bake fore 20-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
  • Invert pans into wire rack immediately and cool completely.
  • Carefully run a thin knife around sides of pans to release cakes.

For the Swiss Meringue Buttercream:

  • If you haven’t done so yet, separate the eggs first. Separate 1 egg white in a small bowl, then place the egg white in your heatproof mixing bowl. Repeat with the remaining egg whites. This way, if a yolk breaks in one of them, you don’t waste the whole batch.
  • Whisk sugar into the egg whites, then set the bowl over a saucepan filled with just two inches of simmering water over medium heat. Do not let the bottom of the egg whites bowl touch the water. Whisk the whites and sugar constantly until sugar is dissolved and mixture has thinned out, about 4 minutes. The mixture will be thick and tacky at first, then thin out and be frothy white on top. To test that it’s ready, you can use your finger or an instant read thermometer. Lightly and quickly dip your finger (it’s very hot, be careful) and rub the mixture between your thumb and finger. You shouldn’t feel any sugar granules. If using a thermometer, the temperature should read 160°F (71°C).
  • No need to let it cool down to start this next step– it’s important to begin mixing while it is still warm. Transfer mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (if you aren’t already using the metal bowl that comes with it). You can use a hand mixer instead, but this step takes awhile and your arm tires quickly. On medium-high speed, beat the mixture until stiff glossy peaks form and the meringue is no longer warm to the touch, at least 10-15 minutes.
  • If the bowl and meringue still feel warm, wait until both cool to room temperature (around 70°F (21°C)) before adding the butter in the next step. Feel free to place it in the refrigerator. A warm bowl and meringue will melt the butter.
  • Switch the stand mixer to the paddle attachment. On medium-high speed, add the butter 1 tablespoon at a time. Wait for the butter to fully mix in before adding the next tablespoon. After all the butter has been added, turn the mixer down to medium speed and fully beat in the vanilla and salt, about 30 seconds.
  • Your Swiss meringue buttercream should be thick, creamy, and silky smooth and is ready to use on your cake.

For Assembly:

  • Drain the syrup from the macapuno strings with a mesh sieve.
  • Level the tops of your round cakes. Spread and level about 1/3 of frosting onto the first cake layer until it is about ¼" thick. Add half of the jar's worth of macapuno strings in an even layer on top. Stack the second cake layer on top and use 1/3 of the frosting to cover the top and sides of the cake.
  • Remove brown sides and bottom of the loaf cake. Cut the remaining cake into cubes then crumble using a food processor or blender. Gently stick the crumbs to the cake top and sides until it is fully covered.
  • Spread the remaining macapuno in the center of the cake. Using the remaining frosting, pipe out big rosettes around the cake’s top edge (I used a Wilton 1M tip for this part). Store cake in the fridge.